Crystallization on Confined Engineered Surfaces:  A Method to Control Crystal Size and Generate Different Polymorphs

Abstract

Patterned glycine crystals nucleated on functionalized metallic square islands. This approach can be used to fabricate particles with micron dimensions and screen solid forms under different conditions. The size of the glycine crystals is controlled by the dimensions of the islands. High energy metastable beta-glycine crystallizes on small metallic islands, whereas for large islands, the polymorphic outcome becomes biased toward the alpha-form.

Crystallization of Lysozyme on Metal Surfaces Using a Monomode Microwave System

“…For example, polymeric films containing ionizable groups, such as sulfonated polystyrene, have been tested as heterogeneous nucleation inducing surfaces for proteins, among other numerous materials and native and/or engineered surfaces [9]- [11]. Nucleation kinetics and thermodynamics studies indicated that significant conformational changes can occur as the protein interacts with these surfaces [10,12].…”

Highly Efficient Patterning of Organic Single‐Crystal Transistors from the Solution Phase

“…A similar approach was previously chosen to grow crystals of glycine on patterned gold surfaces from droplets of a highly undersaturated aqueous solution. [17,18] A difficulty with small organic semiconductor molecules is their low solubility in organic solvents, which is typically of the order of a few mg mL À1 ($30 times less than glycine in water). Therefore, patterning an amount of the organic semiconductor sufficient to grow a crystal that is large enough to bridge the electrodes requires solutions that are close to saturation.…”

Crystallization on Self Assembled Monolayers

“…(Lee, I.S. et al, 2008) In similar studies, Lee et al reported that the size of the glycine crystals is controlled by the dimensions of the metallic gold islands or the concentration of the solution (Lee, A.Y. et al, 2005).…”